Amphitheatre of El Jem

El Jem: The Roman Amphitheatre That Survived Because It Was Too Useful to Demolish

The Amphitheatre of El Jem, built around 238 CE in what is now Tunisia, is the third-largest surviving Roman amphitheatre in the world and arguably the best-preserved outside Rome itself. It is also less visited than it deserves. Most tourists who make it to Tunisia head for Tunis, Carthage, or the coast, and El Jem, a small town in the middle of the country with olive trees in every direction, doesn’t feature on the standard itinerary. This is the itinerary’s mistake.

The amphitheatre seated up to 35,000 spectators and dominated a city then called Thysdrus, which was wealthy from olive oil production. In 238 CE, the citizens of Thysdrus revolted against a particularly aggressive tax collector of Emperor Maximinus Thrax, killed him, and proclaimed their governor Gordian I as emperor. The revolt failed within weeks, Gordian I and his son both died, and Thysdrus suffered. The amphitheatre survived because it was too useful as a fortress, first by Berber insurgents, later by various powers, to tear down.

The Structure

The amphitheatre is 148 metres long and 122 metres wide, with three tiers of arches in pink/cream limestone. Much of the exterior is intact, including sections of the upper parapet that collapsed at the Colosseum centuries ago. You can walk through the underground corridors where animals and gladiators waited before entering the arena; the vaulted chambers and hoisting mechanisms are clearly visible. Standing on the arena floor and looking up at the encircling tiers is a specific experience of Roman architecture at full working scale.

Entry is around 12 TND for foreigners. The site is open daily; the attached museum across the street has mosaics from excavated Roman villas in the surrounding area.

Getting There

El Jem is about 200km south of Tunis and 60km south of Sousse. The train from Tunis (3-4 hours, around 10-15 TND) stops directly at El Jem station, 5 minutes’ walk from the amphitheatre. This is the most convenient option. By car from Sousse takes about an hour on the A1. The town has basic guesthouses and several cafes; staying overnight is possible but most visitors come as a day trip from Sousse or as a stop on the route south to Kairouan and the desert.

Kairouan

If you’re driving to El Jem from the north, Kairouan, 70km northwest, is one of the holiest cities in Islam and worth the detour. The Great Mosque of Uqba, founded in 670 CE and in its current form dating to the 9th century, is among the oldest mosques in the world still in use. The medina around it preserves a distinct carpet-weaving tradition; the geometric patterns of Kairouan carpets are recognisable and available directly from workshops at straightforward prices.